Retaining and reinforcing device for plaster-board and stucco construction.



E. J. HEDDEN.

RETAINING AND HHNFOHCING DEVICE FOR PLASTER BOARD AND STUCCO CONSTRUCTION.

APPLICATION FILED IAN'10. IBIS.

Patented Oct. 17, 1916.

Irma/vex" Int mmms FETERS co. mmmuma. WASNINCIDN. u c.

' UNIT D STATES PATENT onnion.

ELMENDORF J. HEDIDEN, OF BALA, PENNSYLVANIA.

RE AINING AND nnmronoine DEVICE FOR PLASTER-BOARD Am) STUCCO con-- s'rrwo'r on.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Oct. 17, 1916.

Application-filed January 10,1916. Serial No. 71,183.

To all whomz't may concern Be it known that I, ELMENDORF J. Hun- DEN, a citizen of the United States, residing at Bala, county of Montgomery, and State is a full, clear, and exact description, refer-.

ence being had to the accompanying drawings, which form a part'of th1s specification.

My invention'relates to theart of securing plaster boards or'com'position boards to studding and of applying plaster or stucco to such boards, and is more especially applica= ble to the construction of the outside walls ofbuildings, although applicable alsoto inside partition work.

In this construction the plaster boards are nailedin place upon the studding and then a coat of stucco is applied thereto. Defective work often arises from several causes. Thus, the material of which the plaster boards is formed isnot such as to tightly grip the shank of the nail, as in wood-work. and thus the board tends tov work loose and workout in the direction of extension of the nail. This defect is in a large measureovercome by the provision of specially con structed nails having large heads formed of convoluted wire integral with the nail; but

such nails'are expensive to manufacture and the head is easily broken from the shank, and

L" moreover they cannot be driven into place as readily as the ordinary nail. Again, due to the failure of the workmen to properly wet the face of the boards, the plaster or stucco often fails to properly adhere thereto.- Again, there is nothing, except the closest supervision, which is usually impracticable,-

to prevent the workmen from applying too thin a coat of stucco or'fromapplying a coat of irregular thickness.

' It is the object of my? invention to overcome all these sources of defective, dishonest or slip-shod work. 7

In a patent issued to me January 25,1916, No. 1,169,641 I havefset forth and claimed a wire retaining and reinforcing--device' de signed to be used in connection with an ordinary lath nail and intended to attain some of the objects of this invention. .This patented device is not only operative, but is eflicient. The device forming the subject of my present invention is, however, an improvement on the patented device, in that it has SBXGltIl advantages thereover. One of the objections 'to the patent device is the diliiculty of making it at asufliciently'low cost to render its use economical in all cases. One of the objects of the present invention isto enable the device to be constructed at a substantially lower cost.

Another object ofthe present invention is to render the device stronger and more rigid.

Another object of the presentinvention is to more effectively and uniformly distribute the pressure over the surface to which the device is applied.

Another object of the invention is -to strengthen the key for the plaster and avoid any-loose ends extending into the plaster.

Another object of the invention is to permit the device to be applied after the nail is partly driven.

A preferred embodiment of the invention is shown in the drawings, in which Figure 1 is a view in elevation of the device associated with a nail but before the latter has been driven home. Fig. 2 is a plan view of the same in use. Fig. 3 is a section through the wall showing the device in elevation, with the nail driven home.

The drawings show the application of the The devicecomprises a single length .of

wire. Thecentral portion of the wire is bent into a loop 6-, opening (say) downward,qdesigned to receive the shank of the nail and to be confined by the nail against the face of the board. Beyond the loop 6, and on each side thereof, the wire is bent upon itself to form a loop 7" openingin the reverse (upward) direction. The loops 6 and fare,

-preferably,, in about the samekplane. ,Be-

yond each loop 'fthe wire is bent upon itself to form a loop 9 opening downward. The outer shank of the loop 9 is in a substantially higher plane, than the-loops e and .f (as shown in Fig. 1) so that the loop'g may be said to extend in .a plane inclined to the general direction or extension of the device and to the plane of loops e and 7. Beyond each loop 9 the wire is bent to form another loop h opening upward. The outer shank ofloop k may be somewhat lower than the inner loop sonthat this loop willextend in a somewhat inclined plane. Beyond each loop h is a loop 2' opening downward. .The outer shank of loop in is substantially below the level of-the shanks of the'other loops, the loop 72, extending in a pronouncedly inclined plane. This outer loop, is somewhat longer than the remainder of the: loops.

The preciseconstruction shown is of decided advantage and is the outcome of prolonged experiment, although the main advantages of the device may be retained without strict adherence to the preferred specific construction.

It willbe noted that one of the features y of the invention is that the central loop'is in a plane between the two planes within which the whole device extends, and that opposite end portions (preferably the extreme ends) of the device touch the inner or lower of these two planes. When, therefore, the device is being driven into position, as shown in Fig. 1, the ends of the device just touch the surface of the board ends of wire extending into the plaster. .The' central loop is preferably of uniform width; that is, its'opposing shanks are parallel; or in any event the mouth of the loop should be sufficiently wide to allowthe device to be applied to the nail after it has been driven intothe board and studding to nearlyv or quite the extent shown in Fig. 1.

lVhile the device'has' thepeculi ar advantages mentioned, it "also. exhibits, in a more pronounced degree, the advantages characterizing the patented device hereinbefore referred to. It permits the use of an ordinary nail; It prevents the board from working away from the studding. Inaslessness or ignorance of the workman. An

thereby insuring, without special supermuch as most of the usual orifices for the receipt of nails are located along the margin of the board, each device applied near the margin of the board overlaps an adjacentboardand thereby afiiords' additional means for securing. thelatter board in place, besides maintaining flush the faces of ad-' jacent boards. It affords reinforcement for the stucco, so that the latter will be maintained in place notwithstanding the careapplication of a coat of plaster or stucco of sufficient thickness to entirely cover or conceal the loops is absolutely necessitated,

vision, the application of a coat of the thickness required by the specifications.

The device'embodying the present invention is of a less involved contour, and its manufacture presents substantially less difficulty, than in the case of my patented device, and hence may be made and sold at a price which permits its more extensive use.

Having now fully described my invention, what I claim and desire to protect by Letters Patent is 1. A retaining and reinforcing device for plaster board construction consisting of a length of wire comprising a central loop adapted to receive the shank of a nail and tobe confined by the nail against the face of the board, end members, and connecting loops between the central loop and theend members, the opposite end portions of the device extending in a plane beneath the level of the central loop whereby when the nail is driven home and the central loop thereby'forced to the level of the ends, the bearing will be thrown to the end portions and the pressure distributed. 10B

2. A retaining and reinforcing device for, plaster board construction consisting of a length of wire bent to form a series of loops opening alternately in opposite directions, the end portions of the device extending in a plane beneath the level of the central loop and a part of the wire between the central loop and the end portions extending above the level of the central loop.

3. A retaining and reinforcing device for plaster board construction consisting of a length of wire comprising a central loop,

a loop on each side of and beyondand in substantially the same plane as the central loop, a third loop beyond each second loop extending in an upwardly inclined plane, a fourth loop beyond each third loop, and a fifth loop beyond each fourth loop, the last named loop extending in a substantially downward inclined plane and adjacent loopsof the series opening in respectively opposite directions. y

4. retaining and reinforcing device for plaster board construction consisting of a length of wire bent'to form a'central loop, I

an end loop and a series of connecting loops, spaced from the center and to cause a part all of said loops being so arranged that adof the device to be spaced from the board jacent loops open in respectively opposite to which it is applied. 10 directions and alternate loops in the same In testimony of which invention, I have direction, the said Wire being bent between hereunto set my hand, at Philadelphia, on

its center and each end above the level of this 7th day of January, 1916. both to aflord bearings remote from and ELMENDORF J. HEDDEN.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents,

Washington, D. 0." 

